That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis Read Free Book Online Page A

The Progressive Element always found Hingest's presence an embarrassment. As a scientist-and the only really eminent scientist they had-he was their rightful property; but he was that hateful anomaly, the wrong sort of scientist. Glossop, who was a classic, was his chief friend in College. He had the air of not attaching much importance to his own revolutionary discoveries in chemistry and of valuing himself much more on being a Hingest: the family was of almost mythical antiquity.
         "Eh? What's that? College meeting?" said the Blizzard. "What were they talking about?"
         "About the sale of Bragdon Wood."
         "All nonsense," muttered the Blizzard. "I hope you would have agreed with the decision we came to. "It made no difference what decision they came to.
         "Oh!" said Mark with some surprise. ; It was all nonsense. The N.I.C.E. would have had the Wood in any case. They had powers to compel a sale."
         "What an extraordinary thing! I was given to understand they were going to Cambridge if we didn't sell."
         "Not a word of truth in it. And there's nothing extraordinary in the fact that the N.I.C.E. should wish to hand over to Bracton the odium of turning the heart of England into a cross between an abortive American hotel and a glorified gas-works. The only puzzle is why the N.I.C.E. should want that bit of land."
         "I suppose we shall find out as things go on."
         "You may, I shan't."
         "Oh?" said Mark interrogatively.
         "I've had enough of it," said Hingest, lowering his voice, "I'm leaving to-night. I don't know what you were doing at Bracton, but if it was any good I'd advise you to go back and stick to it."
         "Really!" said Mark. "Why do you say that?"
         "Doesn't matter for an old fellow like me," said Hingest, "but they could play the devil with you."
         "As a matter of fact," said Mark, "I haven't fully made up my mind. I don't even know yet what my job would be if I stayed."
         "What's your subject?"
         "Sociology."
         "Huh!" said Hingest. "In that case I can soon point you out the man you'd be under."
         "Perhaps you could introduce me."
         "All right," said Hingest. "No business of mine." Then he added in a louder voice, "Steele!"
         Steele turned round. He was a tall, unsmiling man with that kind of face which, though long and horse-like, has nevertheless rather thick and pouting lips.
         "This is Studdock," said Hingest. "The new man for your department." Then he turned away.
         "Oh," said Steele. Then after a pause, "Did he say my department?"
         "That's what he said," replied Mark. "I'm a sociologist-if that throws any light on it."
         "I'm H.D. for sociology all right," said Steele. "But this is the first I've heard about you. Who told you you were to be there?"
         "Well," said Mark, "the thing is rather vague. I've had a talk with the Deputy Director, but we didn't go into details."
         Steele whistled. "I say, Cosser," he called out to a freckle-faced man who was passing by, "listen to this. Feverstone has just unloaded this chap on our department without a word to me about it. What do you think of that?"
         "Well I'm damned!" said Cosser.
         "I'm sorry," said Mark, a little stiffly. "I seem to have been put in a false position. I only came over as an experiment. It is a matter of indifference to me whether I take a job in the N.I.C.E. or not."
         "You see," said Steele to Cosser, " there isn't really any room for a man in our show-specially for someone who doesn't know the work. Unless they put him on the U.L."
         "That's right," said Cosser.
         "Mr. Studdock, I think," said a new voice at Mark's elbow, a treble voice which seemed disproportionate to the huge hill of a man whom he saw when he turned his head. He recognised the speaker. His dark, smooth face and black hair were unmistakable, and so